The present invention relates to a system for displaying a route from a start point to a destination in a map image read from a database and displayed, thereby navigating people.
In recent years, a map information retrieving display system such as an electronic dictionary for map information developed for an information retrieving equipment and a server for map information provision connected to internet has been improved with the spread of the information retrieving equipment such as a microcomputer and the rapid expansion of an information providing service to be provided through the internet.
The map information retrieving display system is utilized by inputting a land mark such as an address or the name of facilities, retrieving map data on a desirable area from an electronic dictionary set up to the information retrieving equipment and a database of a server for map information provision which is connected through the internet, and displaying a map image of the map data in a display section and printing the map image.
The present applicant has proposed a route information providing system for displaying the shortest route connecting a starting point and a destination which are specified on a map image through map data on a desirable area retrieved from the database in the prior application (JP-A-10-102512).
The route information providing system previously stores route information in route computing database, carries out route computation based on the route information retrieved from the route computing database when the JR Kamata Station is specified as a starting point S and the Keikyu Kamata Station is specified as a destination G on a map image shown in FIG. 10, for example, displays the shortest route L giving priority to a highway connecting the starting point Sand the destination G together with character data indicative of a total distance through a coloring (road coloring) method, thereby navigating people.
Thus, the route information providing system in the prior proposal has an excellent feature that a user can easily get the route information indicative of the shortest route from the starting point to the desirable destination.
However, the user wants to select a route capable of achieving a desirable object on the route from the starting point to the destination in place of the shortest route depending on circumstances.
For example, the user wants to take a meal, do shopping or do things in a banking agency during a movement from the starting point to the destination and a store for this purpose is not positioned along a highway but on a back street in some cases.
In some cases, moreover, the user wants to select a route to the destination depending on circumstances such as a weather.
The user""s requests are varied depending on various causes such as the user""s age, sex and hobby, and is changed depending on circumstances such as a day of the week, a time zone or a weather.
On the other hand, commercial utilization has recently been extended with the recent spread of the map information retrieving display system. For the route information providing system, similarly, usefulness of an advertisement medium has been acknowledged increasingly, for example.
The invention has been made to meet the user""s demand for the route information providing system.
More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a man navigation system capable of displaying a route meeting the user""s demand and of being utilized as an advertisement medium when displaying a route connecting a specified starting point to a destination as a map image to navigate people.
In order to achieve the object, a first aspect of the invention is directed to a man navigation system comprising map display means for retrieving map data on a required area from a database and displaying a map image based on the retrieved map data, point specifying means for optionally specifying a first point and a second point in the map image displayed by the map display means, condition setting means for setting a condition for route setting, route setting means for setting a route connecting the first point and the second point in the map image specified by the point specifying means based on the condition set by the condition setting means, and route display means for displaying the route set by the route setting means on the map image displayed by the map display means.
In the man navigation system according to the first aspect of the invention, a route connecting the first point and the second point which is optionally specified by the point specifying means, that is, a starting point and a destination which is set by the route setting means based on the condition set by the condition setting means is displayed by the route display means on the map image displayed by the map display means.
For example, in the case in which the condition setting means is to set a route set condition based on user information including a user""s sex, age, character, hobby and preference, the route setting means sets a route to pass through a store corresponding to the user""s hobby. Moreover, in the case in which the condition setting means is to set, as a route set condition, at least one condition such as a time and time zone that the user utilizes the route connecting the first point and the second point, a weather, a season or a climate, route setting is carried out corresponding to various route setting conditions, for example, a route in which an arcade is provided or a route passing through large facilities is set.
The user can display the route set corresponding to the route setting condition on the map image displayed on a display such as a terminal equipment, thereby receiving navigation while seeing the displayed route.
According to the first aspect of the invention, when the route connecting the specified first point (starting point) and second point (destination) is to be displayed on the map image to navigate a man, the shortest route is not simply set but the route is set corresponding to a condition set for each user, for example, the user""s hobby or depending on a time zone for utilization and a weather. Therefore, a route to meet the user""s demand can be set for navigation at each time. In addition, when specific facilities are to be set as the route setting condition, for example, the facilities can be specified for an advertisement provider. Thus, the man navigation system can also be utilized as an advertisement medium.
In order to achieve the object, in addition to the structure of the first aspect of the invention, a second aspect of the invention is directed to the man navigation system wherein the condition setting means sets a route setting condition based on user information including a user""s sex, age, character, hobby and preference.
In the man navigation system according to the second aspect of the invention, a route passing through facilities such as a store dealing in goods adapted to the user""s sex, age and hobby, for example, is set based on user information which is previously registered or is input during route setting.
According to the second aspect of the invention, therefore, when the route connecting the specified first point (starting point) and second point (destination) is to be displayed on the map image to navigate a man, the shortest route is not simply set but a route corresponding to each user""s preference is set. Consequently, the navigation can be carried out while guiding the user to a more useful route. Thus, a new discovery of the area can be given to the user. Furthermore, commercial utilization such as an increase in a purchasing will can also be obtained.
In order to achieve the object, in addition to the structure of the second aspect of the invention, a third aspect of the invention is directed to the man navigation system wherein the user information is previously recorded in a user registration database and the condition setting means sets the route setting condition by reading the user information from the user registration database.
According to the man navigation system in accordance with the third aspect of the invention, the route setting condition is set by the condition setting means based on the user information previously recorded in the user registration database.
Accordingly, the user can automatically receive the navigation through the man navigation system according to a route meeting the user""s preference based on the user information read from the user registration database.
In order to achieve the object, in addition to the structure of the first aspect of the invention, a fourth aspect of the invention is directed to the man navigation system wherein the condition setting means sets, as the route setting condition, at least one condition such as a time and time zone that the user utilizes the route connecting the first point and the second point, a weather, a season or a climate.
In the man navigation system according to the fourth aspect of the invention, a route is set based on at least one condition such as a time and time zone, a weather, a season or a climate when the user is to receive the navigation.
For example, in the case in which the time and time zone that the user is to receive the navigation is a time for a meal, it is possible to set a route passing through a restaurant or passing without getting wet in the rain if any.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, therefore, when the route connecting the specified first point (starting point) and second point (destination) is to be displayed on the map image to navigate a man, it is possible to navigate the man through a more useful route than the case in which the man is simply navigated through the shortest route.
In order to achieve the object, in addition to the structure of the second aspect of the invention, a fifth aspect of the invention is directed to the man navigation system wherein the route setting means has facility information database storing information about facilities positioned in the map image displayed by the map display means, retrieves the facilities corresponding to the user information from the facility information database, and selects a route including the retrieved facilities as a set route.
In the man navigation system according to the fifth aspect of the invention, when the route setting means is to set a route based on the user information in the second aspect of the invention, facilities corresponding to the user information are retrieved from the facility information database previously storing information about facilities positioned in the map image.
According to the fifth aspect of the invention, therefore, the facilities corresponding to the user information can be retrieved easily and the facilities having information stored in the facility information database are set to have advertisement provision. Consequently, the man navigation system can also be utilized as an advertisement medium.
In order to achieve the object, in addition to the structure of the fourth aspect of the invention, a sixth aspect of the invention is directed to the man navigation system wherein the route setting means has facility information database storing information about facilities positioned in the map image displayed by the map display means, retrieves, from the facility information database, the facilities corresponding to at least one condition such as the time and time zone, the weather, the season or the climate which is set as the route setting condition by the condition setting means, and selects a route including the retrieved facilities as a set route.
In the man navigation system according to the sixth aspect of the invention, when the route setting means is to set a route based on the condition such as a time for utilization of navigation or a weather in the fourth aspect of the invention, facilities adapted to the condition are retrieved from the facility information database previously storing information about the facilities positioned in the map image.
According to the sixth aspect of the invention, therefore, the facilities adapted to the time for utilization and the weather can be retrieved easily and the facilities having information stored in the facility information database are set to have advertisement provision, for example. Consequently, the man navigation system can also be utilized as an advertisement medium.
In order to achieve the object, in addition to the structure of the fifth or sixth aspect of the invention, a seventh aspect of the invention is directed to the man navigation system wherein the facility information stored in the facility information database is recorded based on a request of an advertisement provider.
According to the man navigation system in accordance with the seventh aspect of the invention, the route setting means sets a route based on a position where the facilities of an advertisement provider are located. Consequently, the advertisement provider can utilize the man navigation system as an advertisement medium. Thus, the man navigation system can be increasingly utilized commercially.
In order to achieve the object, in addition to the structure of the first aspect of the invention, an eighth aspect of the invention is directed to the man navigation system wherein the route setting means has a route database storing information about a route on the map image displayed by the map display means and sets a route based on the route information retrieved from the route database.
In the man navigation system according to the eighth aspect of the invention, the route database stores information about a route on the map image. When the route setting means is to set a route based on the route setting condition, it retrieves, from the route database, information about a route to be set, for example, information such as the presence of an arcade, positions of entrances and exits of large facilities, identification of right and left of a sidewalk provided on both sides of a road and the position of a crosswalk.
According to the eighth aspect of the invention, therefore, it is possible to set a fine route which is more adapted to conditions such as user information or a weather.
In order to achieve the object, in addition to the structure of the eighth aspect of the invention, a ninth aspect of the invention is directed to the man navigation system wherein the route information stored in the route database is related to presence of an arcade.
According to the man navigation system in accordance with the ninth aspect of the invention, for example, in the case in which the route setting means is to set a route as the route setting conditions, a road having an arcade provided thereover is selected to set a route in case of the rain. Consequently, it is possible to carry out navigation to guide the user to such a route as not to get wet in the rain.
In order to achieve the object, in addition to the structure of the eighth aspect of the invention, a tenth aspect of the invention is directed to the man navigation system wherein the route information stored in the route database is related to positions of entrances and exits of large facilities.
According to the man navigation system in accordance with the tenth aspect of the invention, for example, in the case in which the route setting means is to set a route by using the weather as the route setting condition, it sets a routs passing through large facilities in which an umbrella is not required in case of the rain or fair midsummer and provide a cool state through high air-conditioning. Consequently, it is possible to carry out navigation to guide the user to a more useful route than a movement in the shortest distance.
In order to achieve the object, in addition to the structure of the eighth aspect of the invention, an eleventh aspect of the invention is directed to the man navigation system wherein the route information stored in the route database is related to a position of a sidewalk provided on both sides of a road.
According to the man navigation system in accordance with the eleventh aspect of the invention, for example, in the case in which the facilities adapted to the route setting condition such as user information face a road having a sidewalk provided on both sides, it is possible to carry out navigation through fine route setting capable of deciding which side of the sidewalk has the facilities and utilizing the facilities without the user crossing the road.
In order to achieve the object, in addition to the structure of the eighth aspect of the invention, a twelfth aspect of the invention is directed to the man navigation system wherein the route information stored in the route database is related to a position of a crosswalk provided on a road.
According to the man navigation system in accordance with the twelfth aspect of the invention, for example, in the case in which the user crosses the crosswalk, it is possible to carry out navigation through such fine route setting as to reach, at the shortest distance, the facilities in the crosswalk provided on the intersection which are adapted to the user information.
In order to achieve the object, in addition to the structure of the eighth aspect of the invention, a thirteenth aspect of the invention is directed to the man navigation system wherein the route display means displays the facilities retrieved from the facility information database to be distinguished from other facilities on the map image displayed by the map display means.
According to the man navigation system in accordance with the thirteenth aspect of the invention, for example, when the route setting is to be carried out in the fifth or sixth aspect of the invention, the facilities adapted to the user information retrieved as the route setting condition or the weather are displayed on the route set in the map image through expansion, coloring or flashing such that they can be distinguished from other facilities. Consequently, the user can utilize the facilities easily.